Victoria Max-Theurer Takes 2nd Grand Prix at Schindlhof CDI4*, USA’s Steffen Peters 2nd, Tina Konyot 3rd

By KENNETH J. BRADDICK

FRITZENS, Austria, July 5, 2014–Victoria Max-Theurer rode Augustin OLD for the second straight Grand Prix victory for Austria’s triple Olympian at the Schindlhof CDI4* Saturday, with Americans Steffen Peters on Legolas placing second and Tina Konyot on Calecto V third.

The partnership of Vici and the 14-year-old Oldenburg stallion that competed in the London Olympics and three European Championships scored 76.180 per cent. A day earlier, the 28-year-old rider won the Grand Prix to qualify for the Special aboard Blind Date.

“I was so proud especially to finish ahead of Steffen Peters,” said the Austrian champion referring to the United States title that was won by Steffen and Legolas.

Steffen of San Diego, California and the 12-year-old Westfalen gelding scored 75.340 per cent while Tina Konyot of Palm City, Florida and were on 72.600 per cent.

The result for Steffen and Legolas was the highest outside California since the pair began competing the horse in February 2012. Since then, they have competed in eight shows in California, two in Florida and two in Germany, including the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen.where the pair will compete again on the American team in 10 days.

Steffen said Legolas showed more expression, better extensions and wonderful pirouettes as well as very good piaffe and passage that overall produced a good test.

He disclosed that his left leg cramped and he didn’t have enough strength for the first change and lasted through the half-pass zig zag.

“It got better after that and I was able to relax the left leg in time for the one-tempis,” he said.

“It comes from not eating enough bananas and potassium.”

Also, at the elevation of the show grounds–2,300 feet (700m)–it’s difficult to get enough oxygen to the muscles when you’ve been living and competing at sea level.

“I consider myself very fit,” he said. “But this year I’ll be 50 so I have to work on my fitness even more.”

Johan Hinnemann who coaches Steffen joked that an issue was Steffen’s poor mathematics, not counting correctly, that he blames on his wife, Gisela. She was Steffen’s math teacher in high school.

“I don’t think you can blame it on her,” Steffen said, “she knew I was a terrible student.”

For Tina and the Danish Warmblood black stallion who is 16 years old and trying out for their second world championships and that included riding on the U.S. team at the 2012 Olympics the result was a return to high performance levels.

Calecto developed a lung infection while in Europe for the World Cup Final in April and it was not diagnosed until after the national championships two months later. It has been treated, she said, and Calecto is back in top form.

Results:

Grand Prix for Freestyle

Placed competitors							(E)	(H)	(C)	(M)	(B)	Total
1.	2	Augustin OLD	Max-Theurer, Victoria	AUT		2200.00 EUR	377.0	381.0	392.0	387.0	367.5	1904.5 points
	B 14-j.H v.August der Starke/M.v.Rohdiamant/OLD/AUT05018/B: Max-Theurer,Victoria						75.400 %	76.200 %	78.400 %	77.400 %	73.500 %	76.180 %
							2.	1.	1.	1.	2.
2.	37	Legolas	Peters, Steffen	USA		1400.00 EUR	378.0	374.5	377.5	373.5	380.0	1883.5 points
	B 12-j.W v.Laomedon/M.v.Florestan II/WESTF/103KZ88/B: Four Winds Farm Llc						75.600 %	74.900 %	75.500 %	74.700 %	76.000 %	75.340 %
							1.	2.	2.	3.	1.
3.	7	Calecto V	Konyot, Tina	USA		1000.00 EUR	360.5	359.0	362.0	376.0	357.5	1815.0 points
	B 16-j.H v.Come Back II/M.v.Rastell/DWB/USA41206/B: Tina Konyot						72.100 %	71.800 %	72.400 %	75.200 %	71.500 %	72.600 %
							3.	3.	3.	2.	3.
4.	34	Kaiserkult TSF	Schneider, Dorothee	GER		800.00 EUR	353.5	351.0	355.0	346.5	340.0	1746.0 points
	DB 16-j.H v.Van Deyk/M.v.Gajus/TRAK./GER28230/B: Schneider,Dorothee						70.700 %	70.200 %	71.000 %	69.300 %	68.000 %	69.840 %
							4.	4.	4.	5.	7.
5.	76	Wizard	Lyle, Adrienne	USA		500.00 EUR	334.0	336.5	351.0	351.0	343.5	1716.0 points
	B 15-j.W v.Weltmeyer/M.v.Classiker/OLD/USA10585/B: Peggy Thomas						66.800 %	67.300 %	70.200 %	70.200 %	68.700 %	68.640 %
							8.	6.	5.	4.	4.
6.	63	Spirit of the Age OLD	Brune, Bernadette	GER		400.00 EUR	338.5	336.0	344.5	343.5	343.5	1706.0 points
	DB 10-j.H v.Stedinger/M.v.Donnerhall/OLD/103PE45/B: Brune, Bernadette						67.700 %	67.200 %	68.900 %	68.700 %	68.700 %	68.240 %
							5.	7.	6.	6.	4.
7.	20	Dorina	Haim-Swarovski, Evelyn	AUT		300.00 EUR	337.5	343.0	340.0	338.5	340.0	1699.0 points
	B 12-j.S v.Blue Hors Don Schufro/M.v.Ragtime/DWB/102QL22/B: Evelyn Haim-Swarovski						67.500 %	68.600 %	68.000 %	67.700 %	68.000 %	67.960 %
							6.	5.	7.	8.	7.
8.	19	Don Androsso	Birkenholz, Katharina	GER		300.00 EUR	333.5	323.0	339.5	339.0	340.5	1675.5 points
	F 15-j.W v.Donnerschlag/M.v.Akzent II/WÜRTT/GER42209/B: Birkenholz,Katharina						66.700 %	64.600 %	67.900 %	67.800 %	68.100 %	67.020 %
							9.	9.	9.	7.	6.
9.	25	Fantomas IV	Weihermüller, Stefanie	GER		300.00 EUR	326.0	315.5	340.0	330.5	328.0	1640.0 points
	F 16-j.W v.Florestan I/M.v.Pilot/WESTF/SUI09173/B: Weihermüller Dr.,Michael						65.200 %	63.100 %	68.000 %	66.100 %	65.600 %	65.600 %
							11.	11.	7.	9.	9.
10.	9	Companero	Kaldewei, Maria	GER		300.00 EUR	336.5	307.0	334.0	329.0	322.5	1629.0 points
	F 16-j.W v.Carbid/M.v.World Cup I/HANN/102NS94/B: Kaldewei,Maria						67.300 %	61.400 %	66.800 %	65.800 %	64.500 %	65.160 %
							7.	13.	10.	10.	11.
Other, non-placed competitors
11.	40	Louisa	Oatley, Kristy	AUS			319.0	307.0	325.0	324.0	324.5	1599.5 points
	F 11-j.S v.Londonderry/M.v.Lemon Park/HANN/GER46306/B: Oatley, Kristy						63.800 %	61.400 %	65.000 %	64.800 %	64.900 %	63.980 %
							12.	13.	13.	12.	10.
12.	10	Corado	Kempkes, Matthias	GER			312.5	323.5	329.5	326.0	303.5	1595.0 points
	B 17-j.W v.Caracol/M.v.Lombard/WESTF/GER40828/B: Kempkes, Matthias						62.500 %	64.700 %	65.900 %	65.200 %	60.700 %	63.800 %
							15.	8.	12.	11.	14.
13.	78	Wolkenritter	Hartung, Amanda	AUT			327.0	318.5	330.5	307.0	309.0	1592.0 points
	F 12-j.H v.Wolkentanz/M.v.Hitchcock/HANN/103HD27/B: Amanda Hartung						65.400 %	63.700 %	66.100 %	61.400 %	61.800 %	63.680 %
							10.	10.	11.	15.	13.
14.	36	Lanciero	Al Shaer, Diana	RUS			316.5	311.5	311.0	317.5	310.5	1567.0 points
	B 17-j.H v.Lancer II/M.v.Johanniter/RHLD/102MF55/B: Al Shaer, Diana						63.300 %	62.300 %	62.200 %	63.500 %	62.100 %	62.680 %
							14.	12.	15.	13.	12.
15.	43	Prego	Vaughan, Joanne	GEO			317.5	302.5	321.5	309.0	300.5	1551.0 points
	F 17-j.H v.Zazou/M.v.Ulft/KWPN/NED08036/B: Joanne Vaughan						63.500 %	60.500 %	64.300 %	61.800 %	60.100 %	62.040 %
							13.	15.	14.	14.	15.